Spanish Phrases for Wants, Desires & Cravings in Spanish

Learn here some of the most common Spanish phrases to express desires, wants, cravings. Moreover discover which Spanish course you should follow online…

1. No ver la hora – to not be able to wait

No veo la hora de mudarme.
I can’t wait to move [as in to a different home, house, apartment, etc.].

Ella no ve la hora de ver a su marido.
She cannot wait to see her husband.

No veo la hora de que llegues.
I can’t wait for you to arrive.

The expression “no ver la hora . . .” literally means “to not see the hour . . .” But instead of using the expression “no ver la hora,” you can also literally translate and say the following:

No puedo esperar a mudarme.
I can’t wait to move.

Ella no puede esperar a ver a su marido.
She cannot wait to see her husband.

No puedo esperar a que llegues.
I can’t wait for you to arrive.

Depending on the situation, I sometimes prefer to use “no ver la hora” instead of “no poder esperar.” I think it sounds a little more . . . poetic. For example, I have been in the States for nearly two weeks now visiting family. When I texted my “novia” (girlfriend) in Medellin, Colombia today I wrote:

Useful Spanish Phrases: Learn the Different Uses of “ponerse al día”

One of the most useful Spanish phrases is “ponerse al día”. See below the many examples of different contexts where you might use this very important expression that mainly means “to get updated”, ” to catch up”.

Tengo que ponerme al día de trabajo.
I need to get up to date with work (because you are behind).

Todavía tengo que ponerme al día en el nuevo puesto.
I have lots of new things to learn still in the new job.

Tengo que ponerme al día con las noticias, llevo mucho tiempo fuera.
I need to get up to date with the news, I’ve been away for ages.

2 Spanish Phrases to Understand: “Do you have a dream?” and “Are you sleepy?”

When somebody makes an English to Spanish translation, there’s a common mistake that I want to tell you about.

It is a beginner mistake that I heard someone make over the weekend. It can make the difference between saying “I am sleepy” and “I have a dream.”

Medellin is a city that is known for its nightlife. Over the weekend I went to “un bar” (a bar) with some American friends and some Colombian friends. After a few drinks, we discussed going to a “discoteca” (night club). But one of my Colombian friends named Andrés said — in English — “I am tired.”

An American friend name Michael who wanted to show the Colombians that he can speak Spanish as well as they can speak English then asked Andrés:

“Tienes un sueño.”

Andrés responded in English:

“Yes, I have a dream. I hope to someday become a doctor.”

Well, I don’t think Michael really want to know about the career aspirations of Andres. I think what he really wanted to ask Andrés was “Are you sleepy?” — since Andrés just finished saying that he was tired.

However, if you want to ask someone “Are you sleepy?” this is how you ask:

¿Tienes sueño? (informal)¿Usted tiene sueño? (formal)

But if you want to ask someone “Do you have a dream?” this is how you ask:

¿Tienes un sueño? (informal)¿Usted tiene un sueño? (formal)

I wanted to share this with you so that you never make the mistake of asking someone “are you sleepy?” when you really want to ask “do you have a dream?” or vice versa.

This post about the English to Spanish translation of “Do you have a dream?” and “Are you sleepy?” is courtesy of Patrick Jackson LearningSpanishLikeCrazy

Bet you don’t know these 3 Spanish Phrases!

I am still in central Florida assisting a “tía” (aunt) move into an “hogar de ancianos” (retirement home). I can’t wait to get back home to Colombia. Extraño Medellín mucho (I miss Medellin a lot).

Today, I called an “amiga” in Colombia to see if I could send her some money to go pay my utilities so that they don’t cut them off before I return. (I have found paying bills online in Latin America to be somewhat complicated compared to paying bills online in the States).

When I called my “amiga” about paying the utilities, I noticed that I used 3 words that I did not learn when I was studying Spanish and still living in the States. But I learned these words after relocating to Latin America — and I find them to be very useful:

1. Although the Spanish verb “demandar” looks and sounds like the English verb “demand,” the Spanish verb “demandar” does not mean “to demand.” Demandar means “to sue” as in “to sue in a court of law.”

Voy a demandar a la empresa donde trabajaba porque no me pagaron el dinero que me debían.
I am going to sue the company where I used to work because they didn’t pay me the money that they owed me.

Common Speaking Spanish Mistakes

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